Strong Beshara Werder for the first time: “He was in my place”

Werder was led onto the field as team captain against Cologne: Niklas Stark.
Imago/NordPhoto

Niklas Stark himself did not know exactly who was responsible for this: “Maybe Bobo,” said the SV Werder Bremen defender – meaning equipment manager Boban Aleric, who appears to be responsible for allocating the captain’s armband in the team’s dressing room. “It was in my seat,” said Starc, anyway, as he himself was informed that he would at least officially lead his side to a 2-1 home win against 1. FC Köln.

Coach Uli Werner is likely to be responsible for awarding the captain’s armband, but he is still not interested in appointing Bremen co-captain: “It doesn’t really matter to us. We have a group of outstanding players.” More recently, professional football president Clemens Fritz has already indicated that they want to “possibly leave the unclear situation open for the time being.”

“Not so serious”: Werner’s hope with Friedel

The fact that the captaincy became an issue at all was mainly due to the fact that the actual captain, Marco Friedel, was unavailable due to “problems with his rib muscles”. When the Austrian was substituted at half-time for performance reasons in the previous 4-2 defeat in Heidenheim, Christian Gross took over the captaincy. But this time he was not in Bremen’s starting lineup. Was he ever going to serve as captain again? Werner: “He didn’t play from the beginning, so it didn’t bother me.”

It is questionable how long Friedel Werder could be out; To do that we have to wait for the tests scheduled for Monday: “It’s the story of the abdominal muscles again,” Werner explained. “We don’t assume it’s as serious as the previous times. It’s a different place.” The 25-year-old had already been out with similar injuries during this year’s Serie A season and preparations.

Stark and the armband: “An honor, now indeed.”

On the one hand, Friedel’s actor Stark didn’t want to overplay his new role: “A lot of people could have done it, and I was lucky this time – but it was a team effort, and everyone contributed their part.” On the other hand, his immense appreciation for his position at Werder also became clear. “Of course it is a great honor and something very special to wear the armband for this team and the club – well, really now,” the 28-year-old said. “Marco is our captain. And when he returns, I will say, ‘I also have no resentment about letting go.’ Off the job again.”

The Werder defender, in turn, showed less understanding of the “sometimes very negative mood” from the outside, which was gradually threatening to emerge given Bremen’s promising start to the season (cup, three points from four league matches) – and from which the team could not quite free themselves. complete. “You feel like you’re struggling a little bit, that you’re negative sometimes and you think: get back on track, be positive. This was really noticeable this week, and that’s why the win was so comfortable.”

It’s time for Werder to improve: “You have to believe in us”

Due to several late transfers from the club, Starc continued to demand more time and patience to develop at Osterdeich. First in general: “You still have to believe in us. We are in the second year after promotion, you have to keep that in mind.” And then from a personal point of view: “I know from my own experience that it is not easy to get into the game at first,” explained the professional who signed a year ago – and who only became a regular player late. Now he became Werder’s captain for the first time.